Ballooned, vtol aircraft

ABSTRACT

An aircraft capable of vertical or nearly vertical takeoff and landing, with cabin structure and aerostatic means (one or a plurality of balloons) having a center of lift at or near the longitudinal axis of the cabin and in-flight-forward of the craft&#39;&#39;s center of gravity. In ordinary or emergency landing this position of the lift center forces the craft to assume an upright position and it lands on a cushion at the stern. Rearward of the cabin and strongly attached to it there are two attitudecontrolling fan means: (1) a stern-elevating propeller with its propeller disk approximately in the horizontal plane containing the cabin&#39;&#39;s fore-and-aft axis, for lifting the heavier stern of the craft and after takeoff moving the axis into or toward a substantially horizontal position; and (2) propulsive means in the stern portion for steering the craft to the right or left. This steering means may comprise: the two tube-contained fans of FIG. 1, having thrusts in opposite directions; or a single propeller having either reversible-pitch blades or fixed blades that provide thrust in either direction and are driven by a reversible motor. A pair of oppositely-rotating main propellers provide lift for the vertical or nearly vertical craft in takeoff or landing and forward propulsion when it is horizontal. In vehicles for travel mostly in space rockets may be substituted for both the attitude-controlling and the main propellers. In the forms of FIGS. 1, 2, 21 and 22, the main propellers are on short wings that jut thru spaces between balloons; and in these spaces doors and windows are also located. But in FIG. 19: balloons entirely encircle the middle cabin part (optionally a single balloon may be here used); rockets or turbojets preferably are used as propellers; and the only doors and windows are in the forward and rear cabin parts. The craft may be slightly heavier than air, but optionally it may be lighter than air, with main propellers of reversible pitch or controllable-direction rockets. Lightness of weight is an important part of the combination; and the cabin frame comprises tubular members, preferably containing helium.

United States Patent [1 1 Moore BALLOONED, VTOL AIRCRAFT [76] Inventor: Alvin Edward Moore, 916 Beach Blvd., Waveland, Miss. [22] Filed: Mar. 15, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 124,001

[52] US. Cl 244/5, 244/128, 114/69 [51] Int. Cl B64b 1/00 [58] Field of Search 244/5, 24-26, 244/29-31, 40, 117, 119, 123, 125, 128, 135, 137; 114/69 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,766,906 6/1930 James 244/5 2,382,817 8/1945 Reiss 244/5 2,750,133 6/1956 Lebold.... 244/7 B 3,120,359 2/1964 Sprecher. 244/7 B 3,450,374 6/1969 Moore 24.4/5 3,559,920 2/l97l Moore 244/5 3,559,923 2/1971 Moore 24.4/5

Primary Examiner-Milton Buchler Assistant Examiner-Carl A. Rutledge [57] ABSTRACT Aug. 21, 1973 it lands on a cushion at the stern. Rearward of the cabin and strongly attached to it there are two attitudecontrolling fan means: (1) a stern-elevating propeller with its propeller disk approximately in the horizontal plane containing the cabins fore-and-aft axis, for lifting the heavier stern of the craft and after takeoff moving the axis into or toward a substantially horizontal position; and (2) propulsive means in the stern portion for steering the craft to the right or left. This steering means may comprise: the two tube-contained fans of FIG. 1, having thrusts in opposite directions; or a single propeller having either reversible-pitch blades or fixed blades that provide thrust in either direction and are driven by a reversible motor. A pair of oppositelyrotating main propellers provide lift for the vertical or nearly vertical craft in takeoff or landing and forward propulsion when it is horizontal. In vehicles for travel mostly in space rockets may be substituted for both the attitude-controlling and the main propellers. In the forms of FIGS. 1, 2, 21 and 22, the main propellers are on short wings that jut thru spaces between balloons; and in these spaces doors and windows are also located. But in FIG. 19: balloons entirely encircle the middle cabin part (optionally a single balloon may be here used);-rockets or turbojets preferably are used as propellers; and the only doors and windows are in the forward and rear cabin parts. The craft may be slightly heavier than air, but optionally it may be lighter than air, with main propellers of reversible pitch or controllable-direction rockets. Lightness of weight is an important part of the combination; and the cabin frame comprises tubular members, preferably containing helium.

42 Claims, 22 Drawing Figures ihuut 5 Shoe Ls:

we w f nALVIN EDWARD MOORE,

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

TWEPEB Patented Aug. 21, 1973 Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 L W0 To WM v No 11R A w D E w v L g ATTORM Patented Aug. 21, 1973 3,753,539

5 Sheets-Sheet ALVIN E. MOORE INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 21, 1973 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 (XIIIIXIXX (III NPP U OQMwCnEC X PQP AALVI N EDWARD MOORE.

INVENTOR 5 0-0-1 ATToRrig 5 Sheets-Sheet L I I 1 1 r r 1 1 1 11 KALVIN E DWARD MOORE.

INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

1 BALLOONED, VTOL AIRCRAFT This invention pertains to a vertical or nearly vertical takeoff-and-landing (VTOL) aircraft, having lifting balloons with a center of lift forward of the center of gravity. Although this craft optionally may be lighterthan-air it is preferably slightly heavier than air. Some of its objects are to provide: l) a light-weight craft, having aerostatic lifting means and a cushion at its stern, landing nearly vertically under ordinary or emergency conditions, without damage to passengers or load; (2) a light-weight, vertically or nearly vertically landing vehicle having a load-carrying body or cabin, aerostatic means with a center of lift forward of the cabins center of gravity and a rearward, elevating, pitch-controlling propeller, controllable in flight to lift the heavier rear part of the cabin to or toward horizontal position; (3) a vehicle capable of landing with its longitudinal axis at an angle of over 45 degrees to a horizontal plane, having a load-containing body or cabin, balloon means, and rearward, steering propulsive means; (4) a vehicle comprising: a light-weight, load-carrying body or cabin having an in-flighthorizontal cross-section a portion of which is crosssectionally I-I-shaped (at least in vertical cross section, and optionally in all cross sections normal to the foreand-aft axis of the cabin), an elongated, central, loadcontaining cabin part, a forward pilot-housing part that projects beyond the exterior outlines of the cabins middle part, a rearward load-containing and attitudecontrolling cabin part that is wider in said cross-section than the middle part; and elongated aerostatic means inclosing at least most of the middle cabin part and located between portions of the forward and rearward parts; and (5) a light-weight vehicular cabin structure, generally H-shaped in a cross-sectional plane that is normal to the cabins fore-and-aft axis, having wall structure that comprises tubular members and gaseous material in the tubular members. Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, in section from a plane that is vertical in flight and contains the fore-and-aft axis of the cabin;

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view from a plane comparable to 22 in FIG. 1, showing a variation of the balloon and wing structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a detail, cross-sectional view, showing an optional barrel-curved type of light-weight tubular-wall cabin construction;

FIG. 4 is a detail, cross-sectional view illustrating tubular framework of another type of tubular-wall cabin construction, comprising corrugated tubes;

FIG. 5 is a detail view in section from the plane indicated by the arrowed lines 5-5 of FIG. 4, but indicating foam plastic (comprising closed cells) instead ofgas as the gaseous material in the tube;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view from the plane 6-6 of FIG. 1, partly broken away, showing the cabin wall as comprising corrugated tubes of the type of FIGS. 4 and 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view, partly broken away, from a plane comparable to the vertical-in-flight sectional plane 6-6 of FIG. 1 and to the plane indicated at 7-7 in FIG. 6, showing an after portion of the middle cabin part, a forward portion of the rear cabin part, and a portion of a steering-propeller channel;

FIG. 8 is a detail, sectional view, showing another type of cabin-wall tubular member, within foam plastic;

FIG. 9 is a detail view in section from a plane containing axes of the disk-ended type of cabin-wall tubular members, illustrating attachment of tube-end disks to the frame of a windowed element (a door or window comprising plexiglass or glass);

FIG. 10 is a detail view in cross section thru a cabin wall, indicating a jointed type of tubular member within foam plastic and between skins;

FIG. 11 is a detail, sectional view indicating an elongated cabin-wall tubular member, flattened at joints;

FIG. 12 is a detail plan view of the flat-jointed type of tubular member of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 indicates the type of flattened-tube that is inflated to form the tubular member of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional detail view thru a portion of a cabin wall, indicating one form of attachment of a tubular partition to an exterior, tubular wall;

FIG. 15 is a detail view in cross section of one form of the wing;

FIG. 16 (similar to FIG. 6) is a detail view in section from a plane comparable to 6-6 of FIG. 1, showing a lower cabin corner and one form of attachment between a side wall and a wall across the cabins fore-andaft axis;

FIG. 17 is a detail view, partly broken away, in cross section thru a vehicle having arcuate walls that comprise tubular members with flattened portions;

FIG. 18 is a sectional detail view from the plane 18-18 of FIG. 17;

FIG. 19 is a view in section across the fore-and-aft axis and the middle cabin part of a vehicle that has a circular perimeter;

FIG. 20 is a view, partly broken away, in section from a vertical-in-flight plane that contains the fore-and-aft axis of a load-carrying body with walls comprising tubular members having flattened portions;

FIG. 21 is a front elevational view, partly broken away in section to illustrate tubular members in the walls of the middle part 1 of the cabin; and

FIG. 22 is a rear elevational view, partly in section, of a vehicle having an arcuate-walled, barrel-curved load-carrying body.

In FIG. 1 the vehicle is shown as having a balloonsupporting load-carrying body or cabin that is generally I-I-shaped in vertical section along a plane containing its longitudinal axis. This load-containing body or cabin comprises: a middle part 1; a forward-in-flight part 2 (the upper cabin part in takeoff and landing), jutting beyond exterior wall structure of the middle part; and a rear part 3, which also projects beyond exterior outlines of the middle part. The forward part 2 comprises: a central compartment 4, in which the pilot and others may sit (the pilot can see forward of the craft thru the plexiglass windows 5 and 6, to each side and partially rearward thru the elongated, sidewall, windowed elements 7 which may be both windows and doors, and preferably can see to the area abaft the stern by use of a periscope extending thru one of the side windowed elements); a lower compartment 8 in which baggage and/or other things (for example extra fuel) may be stored; and an upper compartment that contains balloons 9 and 10, filled with lighter-than-air gas (preferably helium). The balloons 9 and 10, as shown, optionally may be imbedded in foam plastic 12.

The middle part 1 provides the main payloadcontaining space, in which passengers and/or freight may be located. When it houses passengers its side walls are provided with windowed elements, of which those indicated at 14 preferably are windows and the element 16 is a door, the long dimension of which may be upright when the craft is on the ground. The pilot and all passengers on the craft preferably have seats that resemble those of a ferris wheel. Each of these seats comprises supporting pivot bearings having pivotal axis that is above the center of gravity of the person seated, so that the person automatically remains upright during all changes of position of the cabins fore-and-aft axis in a vertical plane.

The after cabin part 3 comprises a plurality of compartmented sections. The two forward sections comprise fuel tanks 18 and 20. Although each of these tanks optionally may extend from one side wall of the craft to the other, preferably each tank shown (each of 18 and 20) is a main, central, fuel-supply tank for the engines, and it is flanked on each side by a smaller, reserve-fuel tank. Thus, preferably, the two compartmented sections comprise an upper set of three thwartship tanks, of which 18 is the middle and larger one, and a lower set of similar tanks, of which 20 is the larger and in the middle. As further described below, the reserve-fuel tanks aid in establishing and maintaining substantial balance of the weights and aerostatic buoyancies of the craft.

The rear cabin part 3 also comprises four other compartmented sections, extending from one side of the cabin to the other. Two of these, 21 and 22, contain balloons 24 and 25, optionally in the shape of sausages, cylinders or spheres, containing lighter-than-air gas, preferably helium, and (as shown) optionally imbedded in foam plastic. The third of these sections of the after cabin part is the compartment that lies between the walls 26 and 27 of the sections 21 and 22 and also between the walls 28 and 29 of the sections 18 and 20. Two propeller-supporting wind-channels are strongly attached within this third section. Each of these windtubes optionally may have an outwardly flared opening on each side of the craft (may be venturi-shaped in sectional planes containing its axis); and each preferably comprises a juxtaposed stack (set) of doughnutshaped, inflated, automobile-tire-like tubes, preferably of thin metal, of which the central tube (30, 31) is shown in FIG. 1. A steering propeller, at about the center of the axis of each wind-channel is driven by a motor. This motor is supported by metal bars, spokes or pipes 32, strongly connected to ties (bands, rods, cords or wires) which are looped around and fixed to the central tube (30, 3!). Rigid foam plastic preferably extends around the wind-channels; and within this plastic weight-lightening lighter-than-air balloons of the above-described type preferably and as shown are imbedded. The steering propellers shown exert thrusts in opposite directions. Preferably they are rotated by electric or fluid motors, separately controllable by the pilot in steering the craft, by means of known rheostats, control valves, or the like. Alternatively, only one steering propeller and wind-channel may be provided, in which event the propeller is controlled by the pilot by known reversible-pitch mechanism or by reversing a propeller-driving motor which rotates propeller blades of a known type that is capable of exerting thrust in either direction of rotation.

The rearmost section of the after cabin part 3 comprises a strong, exteriorly streamlined shell, providing an upright-axis wind-channel and supporting a vehiclepitch-controlling propeller. This shell comprises: preferably metallic side walls of the after end of the rear cabin part 3 (not shown in FIG. 1), fixed by welding, bolts, or the like to the after walls 33 and 34 of compartments 21 and 22; wind-channel 35, preferably of reinforced plastic but optionally of metal; upper and lower metallic walls, 37 and 38, fixed to the said afterend side walls; and a rearmost, arcuate cabin wall 39 that is fixed by bonding material (welding or epoxy) and bolts or rivets to the rear of the wind-channel. After this channel is put in place the wall 39 is welded to the walls 37 and 38 and to the said after-end side walls. The upper and lower walls 37 and 38 are arcuately apertured at 40 and 41 to conform to 'the openings of the upright-axis wind-channel, providing free passage of the wind stream from the upper to the lower side of the craft.

The wind-channel 35, venturi-shaped in all sectional planes containing its axis, may be formed of metal, or as shown of molded plastic (reinforced with fibers or fabric; or optionally it may be formed of closely juxtaposed, inflated, doughnut-shaped plastic or metallic tubes like 30 and 31. Four orthogonally-arranged craftelevating-propeller supports, 43, are fixed within the channel 35. These supports may be metal bars, but as shown each comprises metallic or plastic tubes 44 and 45, of different diameters, sheathed tightly within a streamlined skin. These tubes, inflated with air or helium, support between them a metallic ring or band 46; and within this band the motor 47 is fixed. This motor drives the vehicular-pitch-controlling propeller 48.

A streamlined landing cushion, located at the inflight-rearmost part of the craft, comprises: a streamlined skin, 49; within this skin, resilient foam plastic 50; imbedded in the forward part of this foam plastic, resilient spherical or cylindrical balloons 51, optionally of rubber but then having walls that are thicker and stronger than those of common rubber balloons; a resilient, rearmost sphere or tube, 52, preferably made of several plies of fabric, impregnated with resilient rubber, strongly inflated with air or helium (for example at a pressure of ten to twenty pounds per square inch); and a rearmost wear'taking pad 53 of strong, resilient rubber on fabric plies, or the like, epoxy-bonded to the after part of skin 49.

Aerostatic means, preferably comprising a plurality of balloons (for example, 55 and 56), are mounted between the portions of the forward and after cabin parts 2 and 3 which project beyond the exterior outlines of the middle cabin part 1. In the general type of the aircraft that has short wings, these balloons as indicated in FIGS. 1, 2, 21 and 22 inclose the major portion of the middle part 1 and are grouped in upper and lower sets that are spaced sufficiently apart at the sides of the cabin for projection between them of the wings, and for view from the interior of the cabin thru the windowed elements.

Because the heavier elements of the craft are located to the rear of the transverse plane thru the center of the cabins fore-and-aft axis, and because the major portion of the volume of the balloons is forward of the rear cabin part 3, the center of lift of these ballons is forward of the center of gravity of the aircraft. And in absence of thrust from the propeller 48 that lifts the rear cabin part 3, this location of the aerostatic center of lift automatically forces the craft when it is descending to assume a position in which its fore-and-aft axis is vertical or steeply inclined toward vertical. So that, braked in fall by the buoyancy of the balloons and by the oppositely-rotating tractor propellers 58, it descends slowly, and lands on the after landing cushion. During this descent the pilot may control the craft for landing on a desired spot by control of the motor 47 and the engines 60 that drive the oppositely rotating propellers 58. To land more speedily he decreases the power output of the engines 60; to land more slowly he increases this power output; and to move forwardly a little in landing he controls the motor 47 to raise the rear cabin part 3 suficiently for the tractor propellers 58 to move the craft forward the desired distance. In emergency landing, when the engines 60 have failed, the pilot declutches the propellers 58 from the engines, and then they autorotate, braking the crafts descent.

The heavier elements that are in or on the after portion of the vehicle comprise: the main engine-andpropeller units 58-60; the attitude-controlling motorand-propeller assemblies; the metal supports for these assemblies; the six fuel tanks (of which 18 and 20 are the center ones) and the fuel in them; the auxiliary engine 62; the electric-generator-and-pump assembly 63; the batteries indicated above 62 and 63; and the wingframe tubes 64 and 65 (which in FIGS. 1, 21 and 22 project thru the rear of the middle cabin part 1 and laterally into the aerodynamically streamlined wings.

The engines 60 and 62 draw fuel in approximately equal amounts only from the larger central tanks 18 and 20; if the fuel in these tanks becomes dangerously low a fuel pump in the assembly 63 is automatically or manually controlled to draw approximately equal amounts of fuel from the four laterally positioned reserve-fuel tanks and to equally supply this reserve fuel into the tanks 18 and 20. In addition to the reserve-fuel pump that is driven by the engine 62, the assembly 63 comprises an electric generator that supplies current to the batteries and engines and, optionally and preferably, a gas pump, automatically and/or manually controlled to draw helium from the balloons, especially if the aircraft is operated at high altitude or in space and their envelopes are apt to be disrupted.

When helium is thus pumped it is forced into strongwalled cylindrical tanks. When the wings are of the type of FIGS. 1, 21 and 22, these tanks preferably are in sections of the wing tubular members 64 and 65 that are between sealed partitions or disks of the tubes that are located at or near the side walls of the cabin. But when the wings are of the type shown in FIG. 2 (described below) the helium is stored in the sealed cylindrical tank or tanks 66, in the cabin, preferably below the cabin-contained portions of the wing tubes. In either construction, when the craft descends from a high altitude helium from the storage-tank means is manually or automatically valved and/or pumped back into the balloons.

In the wing construction of FIG. the tubular members 64 and 65 optionally may be longitudinally or annularly corrugated. The gas-containing filler elements 65A may be of plastic (optionally corrugated) or bamboo. Bamboo, which has very large, jointed strength per unit of its weight, is annularly corrugated and contains gaseous material (gas). Optionally the larger tubes 64 and 65 also may be of large-diameter bamboo or be replaced by bundles of tied-together lengths of bamboo.

The motor 47 and the pair of steering-propeller motors optionally may be small gas turbines, or rotary fluid motors driven by fluid thru one of the tubes 45 from a pump in 63; but preferably these attitudecontrolling motors are electric and receive current from the storage batteries and generator.

The propellers 58 preferably exert thrust in the general direction of the cabins fore-and-aft axis. Preferably, they comprise: pitch-changing mechanism, including means for fully feathering the blades; clutches for disconnecting the propellers from the engines 60 when they fail and a forced descent is necessary; and, when the vehicle is lighter-than-air these propellers optionally may have known, reversible pitch-controlling means, whereby, at the will of the pilot, they may force the vehicle to descend against the buoyancy of the aerostatic means, or may exert a lifting force on the upright craft, thus augmenting the lift of the aerostatic means.

Various optional forms of the aerostatic means and the cabin structure, indicated somewhat generally in FIG. 1, are shown in FIGS. 2 to 22. Because of the upright position of the craft in takeoff and landing lightness of weight of the cabin walls (great strength per unit of weight) is a very important feature of this invention. This is achieved mainly by use in the cabin frame of tubular members having thin walls of metal, plastic or the like, containing gaseous material, which optionally may be foam plastic (preferably pressurized) as indicated at 67 in FIG. 5, but preferably is gas (helium, hydrogen, air or the like) at high pressure. The frame in each of the disclosed forms of the invention thus has both the arch-like strength of the curved tubular walls and the strength of internal pressure. When this pressure in a tube for example is twenty pounds per square inch the tubular wall will yield only under a blow that reaches the tube at above 20 pounds per square inch. And because of its curvature and shock-resistant material (optionally plies of resilient rubber and fabric or fabric epoxy-glued to thin metal, preferably of copper, aluminum alloy, thin steel, other metal or dense, substantially-impermeable-to-gas plastic), this pressure capable of making the tubular wall yield is much above 20 pounds. Moreover: the strong wall-skin means on both sides of the tubular members and the light-weight foam plastic that is preferably placed within this skin means and tightly around the tubular members add considerable strength to the wall; and the additional effect of the light-weight but strong skin means around the balloons and the cushioning of these balloons make the interior of the load-carrying body practically crashproof.

In FIG. 2 the cabin is indicated as comprising preferably inflated, doughnut-shaped tubular members 68 that have their centers spaced along the longitudinal axis of the cabin; they preferably have contacting wall portions that are strongly fixed together by welding, epoxy putty or other bonding material, and are imbedded in foam plastic, between skins. This doughnut-liketube frame of the wall is optional; preferably it comprises instead elongated tubes having ends, of one of the forms of FIG. 3 to 22.

Although the wing frames of FIG. 2 optionally may comprise disk-ended tubular members that strongly pass thru opposite openings in the cabins side wall in the manner of FIGS. 1, 21 and 22, the wing tubular members are here indicated as having flattened, the sealingly bonded ends and between these ends inflated tubular links that are separated by flattened and bonded portions. This inventive form of wing or wall tubular member, shown also in FIGS. 12 to 14, 16 to 18 and 20, not only has large strength per unit of weight as described above but also may be easily and strongly inflated with lighter-than-air gas (preferably helium), without the complexity and the tube-material-wrinkling of use of vacuum pumps. The tubing (an extrusion, or else made of rectangular ductile (flexible) sheet material with edges that are sealingly joined by flexible bonding material (epoxy putty, ductile welding or the like) is flattened as a whole into there rectangular form indicated in FIG. 13; and the tubular plies of the ends indicated at 69 (optionally slit) are bonded together, the plies of the optional, intermediate, bendable, flattened portions 70 (like 71 in FIGS. 11 to 13) are welded or otherwise bonded together, optional holes 72 for attachment bolts or rivets are drilled, and one or more valves 73 (or other sealable gas inlets) are sealingly installed in an inflatable link or links. When there are two or more links and small unbonded gaps in the welding or other bonding material at 71, providing for limited flow of gas between the links, one gas inlet 73 is sufficient for inflating all the links; but when, as in FIG. 2, the intermediate flat portions 70 (or 71) completely seal against flow-communication between the links a gas inlet is provided for each link. Thru this gasinlet means (one or a plurality of sealable valves, or short pieces of small-diameter tubing, or holes) the helium or other gas is supplied until the desired pressure (for example in the range of ten to twenty pounds per square inch) is obtained. Thereafter, when the tubular wall material is dense and substantially impermeable to gas, each gas inlet is sealed; and the tubular member is thus permanently sealed against escape of gas. Optionally, each of these flat-ended tubular members may be tightly sheathed in an envelope of strong fabric (for example of nylon or fiberglass), preferably impregnated and coated with plastic. This fabric, preferably applied to the metal or other-tubular wall material while the tube is in the flattened condition of FIG. 13, may be bonded to this material in the impregnation process, or it may be separately glued to'the tubular wall before impregnating and coating it with plastic.

The flat-ended wing tubular member shown in FIG. 2 has two inflated links 75 and 76; and between these links there are two arcuate, separated elements 77 and 78, slit from the middle part of the tubular member, extending around and epoxy-bonded to the upper and lower curved surfaces of the cabin. Each of the wings comprises a plurality of inflated fore-and-aft tubular elements or links of different diameters, adapted to conform to a streamlined wing skin which is similar to that shown at 79 in FIG. 15. But unlike the wing tubular members of FIG. those of FIG. 2, having flattened portions that are wider than the inflated links, are spaced apart at these links, so that plastic in fluent condition is flowed between them. This plastic within the wing skin may be dense, (as at 80) or strong foam plastic (as at 81). Each wing is braced against bending at the portions 70 by this plastic and also by inflated transverse tubes, 82, of strong material (for example, of

metal or molded, reinforced plastic).

The engines 60 are strapped and bonded around the wings by bands 83. The dihedral angle of the wings in FIG. 2 causes the weights of these engines to be located above an in-flight-horizontal plane containing the longitudinal axis of the cabin. This position aids in distributing the weights of the craft and its contents so that the center of gravity is only slightly lower than the cabin axis. In each of the vehicular forms of the inven tion the center of gravity is thus preferably placed below and only a little below the fore-and-aft axis.

The main balloons utilized with the'cabin and wings of FIG. 2 may have equal volumes as indicated in FIG. 22; but as shown the total volume of upper buoyant gas is smaller than that below the cabin s axis. This inequality in upper and lower volumes is lessened by the balloons 84 at the top of the inside space of the cabin, and also, optionally, by having balloons like 9 and 10 of FIG. 1 only at the top of the interior of the cabins forward and rear parts.

In each of the arcuate-in-cross section cabin forms of FIGS. 2, 17, 19 and 22, and optionally in FIGS. 1 and 20, a deck structure is provided that comprises a planar deck 85 and at least one elongated deck-supporting beam 86 (of metal or fabric-reinforced plastic). The spaces below the deck and on each side of beam 86 may be filled with foam plastic, or it may be utilized for storage of baggage, tools and the like. Baggage and tools also may be stored in the forward space 87 (shown in FIG. 1), to which access is had via trap doors, between spaced pairs of the tubular members 88.

The type of wings indicated in FIGS. 1, 15, 21 and 22 comprises disk-ended tubular members (64, 65), preferably inflated with high-pressure gas as above described, each of which optionally may be: a single elongated, circular-in-cross section tube of metal, or of dense, rigid or stiffly resilient plastic (preferably reinforced with fibers or fabric); or a single tube of this material that is corrugated in cross section as indicated in FIGS. 4 to 7; or a jointed tubular member comprising a plurality of inflated sections (of circular or corrugated cross sections), each adjoining pair of these sections having disk ends that are fastened together by bolts and/or bonding material as indicated in FIGS. 8 and 10. Currently, the inventor prefers a plurality of single, corrugated wing tubes, each extending thru the cabin and to disk ends at each wing tip. Each of these welded or otherwise bonded disks preferably projects slightly beyond the corrugation ridges of the attached tube, so that the liquids which form the foam plastic 89, inserted thru a quickly closable opening in the skin 79, may flow between and around the tubular members.

The cabin-wall tubular members, preferably inflated with helium or air, also optionally may be corrugated. Such members are shown at 90 in FIG. 4 in a rounded comer of the cabins outer wall. The tubular elements in the form here illustrated have disked ends that do not project beyond the corrugation ridges at least do not at the lines of contact between the contiguous corrugations; and at these lines welding or other bonding material 91 is placed. The end disks are fastened by bonding material and the bolts 92 to the wall 93, which is transverse to the cabins axis, comparable to the wall indicated at 94 in FIG. 1, and optionally of tubular, me tallic, plywood, or reinforced-plastic construction. The bonding material here used is preferably epoxy putty; and the bolts either extend between tubes and their flanking skins, or thru holes in the optional solid wall as indicated in FIG. 5. Each tube has a gas inlet 95, which after inflation is permanently sealed by bonding material. The tubular wall frame indicated in FIG. 4 is completed by bonding or otherwise fastening an outside skin on the edges 96 of the wall 93 and an interior skin that is fixed to inner surfaces of the corrugated tubes and to the wall 93.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another form of the general type of cabin-wall construction shown in FIG. 4, utilizing corrugated tubular members (preferably inflated with gas well above atmospheric pressure) that are sufficiently spaced apart for passage of bolts from one tube-flanking skin 97 to another skin 98. These bolts may be straight as at 99 or U-bolts as at 100. The space between each pair of the tubular members serves also for free flow of the injected liquids that form the foam plastic 101 at least between each pair of the tubular members. Optionally, these members may have disked ends and/or intermediate joints as indicated at 102 in FIG. or 103 in FIG. 8, in which event the projecting parts of the disks provide spaces between the skins and tubular members for flow of the plastic liquids in this space as well as in the spaces between the tubular members. But as illustrated, instead of having such individual disks each of the tube ends is fixed by welding or other bonding material to a sheet 104 of strong material (metal, fabric-reinforced plastic or plywood).

The method of assembly of the elements of FIG. 6 comprises the following steps: l) On a fixture, placing the wall-bracing and plastic-flow-providing sheet 104 over the skin sheet 98 (the two being of similar material) and epoxy-glueing or otherwise bonding them together. The sheet or bar 104, which optionally may be eliminated, is preferably a narrow rectangle, with its long dimension vertical as viewed in FIG. 6 and its width which is a little wider than the outside diameter of the tubular elements 106 is normal to the drawing sheet as viewed in FIG. 6. (2) Drilling holes thru sheets 104 and 106 for the bolts 99, 108 and/or 109. (The tube-attachment bolts optionally may be like 108 or 109, but preferably there are two spaced bolts 108 for an end of each tubular member.) (3) Placing the joined sheets on a fixture that has boltaccomodating apertures or slots in it, with the bar 104 being nearer to the location of the tubes 106; (4) inserting and sealingly fastening the bolts in the drilled holes, with all their heads on the tubeward side of 104, nuts screwed tightly against the sheet 98 on bolts 108 and/or 109, and all the heads sealed over against the bar 104 by welding or other gas-escape-preventing bonding material. (5) Successively placing open ends of the tubular members 106 over the bolts 108 and/or 109 and against bar 104, and welding or otherwise sealingly bonding these ends to 104. (6) At the same time as step (5) or shortly thereafter fastening the other ends of the tubular members 106 to another, bolted, composite element 98-104. These two composite elements, which are parallel and spaced apart on the fixture, optionally may be in horizontal position (one above the other), but preferably they are vertical, and the tubular members are horizontal. (7) Successively and horizontally placing the tubular members 110 against the sheet 98 and welding or otherwise bonding them to 98. (Preferably a rounded comer is provided for by having one of these tubular members, 110, of smaller diameter than the others). (8) Placing metallic mesh or other apertured fabric 112 (preferably expanded aluminum mesh) below the bottom tubular member 106 and threading this mesh over the projecting bolts 99, and screwing the nuts 113 against the mesh until it is taut. This mesh, which is fastened to the edges of the bar 104 which project beyond the perimeters of tubes 106, then is a little indented at each bolt head, between a pair of the tubular members. (9) Trowel stucco 1 14 over and into the mesh. This stucco comprises cement preferably epoxy-resin cement and preferably also comprises a fine aggregate such as pumice, vermiculite, short fibers or the like. l 0) Inject foam-plastic liquids thru a quickly closable hole in the sheet 98 (or in the stucco and mesh); these foaming liquids, preferably containing fireproofing constituents, flow between the mesh and tubular members and around these members, forming the foam plastic 115.

FIG. 7 illustrates a corner of the cabin that is adjacent to an end of one of the balloons 55. When the cabin is circular or otherwise arcuate in cross section the axis of the inflated, comer-bracing tube 1 16 is conformably arcuate; but when the cabin, as in FIG. 21, is rectangular this tube is straight, and is one of four orthogonally arranged and joined corner tubes, and each of these tubes optionally may be corrugated. Foam plastic 117 envelops this tube 116.

FIGS. 8 and 10 illustrate optional, jointed types of the tubular members. When the adjacent disked ends of the tubular elements (preferably inflated at pressure well above that of the atmosphere) are strongly bonded together (for example by welding or epoxy putty and/or bolts) the tubular members thus formed have jointed, light-weight strength comparable to that of bamboo. In FIG. 8 each adjacent pair of the cans, of currently common type, comprise a relatively larger diameter tubular-member element 118, and another, 119, of smaller diameter. The end cap of each smaller can fits within and is bonded to the recessed cap of each adjacent larger can. In FIG. 10 the corrugated tubular elements are welded or otherwise bonded to disks, 120, and each adjacent pair of these disks are fastened together by bonding material (preferably epoxy putty) and bolts. The jointed tubular members of either FIG. 8 or FIG. 10 optionally may be of metal or molded plastic, and may be utilized instead of the tubular members shown in FIGS. 4 to 7.

FIG. 9 shows the manner in which the frame of a windowed element may be fastened to disk-ended tubular members, 121. The disk ends of the members are fixed by bonding material to the frame, and preferably are also bolted to the frame by bolts and countersunk nuts, 1218. These bolts are bonded in holes in the tube disks, and have heads inside the tube that are sealingly bonded to the inside surface of the disk. When the frame is of metal, as shown, the bonding material between it and the tube-end disks preferably is welding.

FIG. 14 illustrates construction of an internal partition for example the wall 122 of FIG. 1 with use of flat-ended tubular members of the general type shown in FIGS. 1 1 to 13. One of the deck tubular members, 124, has a flattened, bonded portion that is similar to 71 of FIG. 12; and above and below this portion two beams, 125 and 126, are placed. These beams may be of wood or hollow metal, but are shown as of plastic (preferably reinforced, for example with fabric or bamboo.) They extend the full length of the partition, are bonded to at least some other flattened portions of the parallel group of deck tubular members; and at least at each end the beams are drilled to form holes in which screwthreaded rods, 128, are fastened. These rods optionally may be of the common, commercially sold, screwthreaded type, 36 inches long, and as such stand higher above the decking 129 than the rod shown in FIG. 14. After this decking is bonded to the tubes 124, an end chock or filler piece, 130, preferably of molded plastic, is threaded down over the rod. This chock is short, and is curved in a direction normal to the plane of the paper of FIG. 14 to conform to the end curvature of the lowest of the stacked tubular members of the partition. The curvature of the chock 130 thus is similar to 131 of FIG. 16. Next, an attachment hole in the flattened, sealed end portion 132 of the lowest tubular member is threaded down over the rod and bonded to the chock 130. And then over this another chock, 134, curved to fit between the tapering curvatures of two of the stacked tubes, similar to the chocks 141 of FIG. 16, is threaded on the rod and bonded to 132. This chock 134 is thicker than 130, and all chocks above 134 to a level near the top of the partition are shaped like it. The upper end of the rod 128 lies below the top surface of one of the chocks 134 by a distance equal to approximately half the thickness of the relatively thick nut 135. This nut (preferably round in perimeter and having recesses in its top to receive a pronged wrench) is screwed tightly down on the rod and into a recess in 134. Epoxy glue is then dropped into the recess in the upper half of the nut; and into this recess a second threaded rod, 136, is tightly screwed down against the top of rod 128. After this, other flattened tube ends 137 and other chocks 138 are bonded together on the rod 136 to the top of 'the partition.

FIG. 16 shows an outer corner of the cabin wall, in which orthogonally arranged flattened tube ends, 139, are joined and bonded together with the use of taperingly curved chocks like those of FIG. 14. Optionally and as shown these chocks may be of wood, as at 140, or plastic, as at 141. When they are of molded plastic they preferably contain inflated, egg-shaped, spherical or cylindrical inflated shells of metal, plastic or glass, as indicated at 142 and 143. These shells add lightweight strength to the plastic of the chocks. In this figure no rods like 128 are shown, but such rods optionally may be provided.

In FIGS. 17 and 18 a cabin wall that is arcuate in cross section is shown as comprising tubular members with flattened ends. The two flattened plies of each of these ends have a middle, planar junction that lies in a radial plane 145 that contains a center line of curvature of inner and outer skins 146 and 147 of the cabin wall. This arrangement enables the inflated, round tubular elements between the flattened portions to abut firmly against each other, and yet there is space between the curvingly tapered tube portions for the liquids of the foam plastic 148 to flow around the tubes. In FIG. 18 the perpendicular arrangement of the flat, bondedtogether tube ends is shown at two cabin corners that provide for glued attachment of one end of the balloon 55.

FIG. shows another type of cabin construction that utilizes inflated, flattened-end tubular members. At the corners 150 the flattened ends of the tubes 151 are bifurcated without disturbing the gas seal and the separated plies are wrapped, intertied and bonded around annular portions of the tubular element 152.

This type of junction optionally also may be used at the corners of FIG. 18. At the corners 153 of FIG. 20 the flattened ends 154 of the tubes 151 and ends 155 of the tubes 156 are bent along and bonded to the partition skins; and these ends 154 and 155 may be further fixed to the partition by bolts (like 99 of FIG. 7) thru 154 and 155 and the skins and between partition tubes. The tubular elements 152, 156, 157 and 158 optionally may be parts of an integral tubular member that is similar to that of FIG. 12. This tubular member, one of a plurality of such members that are juxtaposed, has a flattened portion that is bonded to one of the doughnut-shaped tubes 159 of a steering propeller channel. (The single steering propeller here, not yet assembled in the channel, is either driven by a reversible motor or has reversible pitch.) Other flattened portions of the tubular member are bent around and bonded to metal angles 160. Similarly, flattened end portions of the tubular members 162 are fixed to the metal angles 163. When the cabin is rectangular in cross section the angles and 163 are elongated, straight, angled pieces; but when the cabin is arcuate they are rings.

FIG. 19 illustrates a type of the aircraft or spacecraft that has aerostatic means extending entirely around an arcuate-in-cross-section middle part 1. Optionally a single balloon, comprising the outer skin 165 and an annulus of helium within it, may be substituted for the plurality of balloons 166 and 167. The pipe 168 is an air-inlet pipe leading rearward to a motor 169, which optionally is of the turbojet or rocket type. When it is a rocket motor the air conduit 168 is eliminated. The landing cushion 170 in this inventive form comprises two sets (195 and 196) of resilient, contiguous, inflated tubes, each set being within a flexible skin that contains foam plastic, substantially rectangular in shape and fixed to a metal plate at the craft's stern. Thru this plate an optional stern door may provide access to the interior of the cabin. The only windowed elements of this form are in the projecting forward and/or after cabin parts 2 and 3.

FIG. 21 shows a cabin in which optionally all of the sidewall, top and bottom tubular members, 172, extend in fore-and-aft direction.

FIG. 22 illustrates a barrel-curved cabin and balloons, 174, that extend from a plane at or near the extreme forward end of the cabin to a plane that is considerably spaced forward of the attitude-controlling rear end of the cabin. Thus the aerostatic center is inflight-forward of the center of gravity. Each balloon 174 is sausage-shaped has an axis that is arcuate from end to end and positioned to cause the balloon's envelope to snugly engage and be glued to the outer cabin skin. The balloons are held within the flexible skins 175 (optionally of balloon cloth or reinforced plastic and optionally comprising netting). Within each of these skins, and between balloons 174, other, smaller balloons, like 167 (FIGS. 17, 19 and 21) may be located.

The barrel-curved cabin tapers inward from its part of greatest bulge to its arcuate forward and rearward barrel-head-like ends. The forward end 176 is windowed, and to the rear end 177 a landing cushion (not shown in this figure), like that of FIG. 1, is attached.

With reference also to FIG. 3, the cabin has barrelcurved, stave-like wall members, each of which comprises: a pair of arcuate-edge side pieces 178, of metal, reinforced plastic or plywood, each having a radially outer edge that is convex and a radially inner edge that optionally may be straight but preferably is also curved, having its greatest radius at the cabins greatest bulge; tubular, gaseous-material-containing means comprising one or a plurality of disk-ended or flattened-end tubular members 179, 180 (optionally having arcuate axes) between the side pieces and, preferably, foam plastic 182 around the tubular member or members and having outer and inner arcuate surfaces, preferably formed in a mold, that conform to the edge surfaces of the side pieces.

In assembly, each pair of these stave-like members are placed side-by-side and their contiguous side pieces are strongly joined with bonding material (preferably epoxy resin or other cement). All the junction planes between these contiguous side pieces of the cabin (the planes at the bonds) may center at the same radius of curvature, and in this event the cabin is circular in cross sections as indicated in FIGS. 3 and 17. But as shown in FIG. 22 (and as optional in FIGS. 3 and 17) the outer lines of a cross-sectional plane thru the cabin may comprise a plurality of arcs 184, 185, 186, 187, 188, 189 and 190. Each of these arcs has a center of curvature different from that of the adjacent arcs. And in this construction: the side-piece-junction planes 192 that intersect the arc 184 radiate from a center line that contains the center of curvature of arc 184; the single junction plane 193 that intersects 185 radiates from a center line containing the center of curvature of 185; the junction planes that intersect are 187 radiate from the center line of the center of curvature of 187; and the junction planes that intersect are 189 radiate from the center line of the center of curvature of 189. The arcs 186, 188 and 190, like 185, optionally may be intersected by either one junction plane like 193 or no junction plane as indicated between the numerals 182 and 190.

This barrel-curved form of the cabin has the very large strength per unit of weight of barrels. And its strength is augmented by looped meansbarrel-like metal hoops, spirally wound strips of metal or metallic mesh, or gores of metallic mesh (194, FIG. 3), tautly connected and bonded to the outer surfaces of the stave-like members. In FIG. 3 a form of this looped means is imbedded in the troweled-on plastic 192.

In preparation for takeoff, the craft stands more or less upright on its rear cushion. In each of the vehicular forms of FIGS. 1, 17, 20, 21 and 22 the rearwardly streamlined elements 37-41 and the cushion skin 49, smoothly merging together, are streamlined to the elements 52 and 53. The member 52, containing gaseous material optionally may be: a rounded-disk-ended or flat-end tube, with a straight or rearwardly convex axis; or a sphere (when the cushion and elements 3741 are streamlined back to ball shape. In either event, the aftermost end of the skin 49 and the wear-taking shoe 53 closely conform to the curved surface of 52.

But in the form of FIG. 19 the cushion elements comprise a pair of parallel, somewhat planar, resilient pads, 195 and 196. These pads, provide between them free space for the rocket or turbojet blast. Each comprises: a flexible, optionally resilient cushion skin; foam plastic within this skin; and disk-ended or flattened-end tubes of the above-described type, containing gas or foam plastic under above-atmospheric pressure, imbedded in the plastic. The inventor currently prefers, imbedded within foam plastic, stacked, parallel-axis, inflated, flatended tubes, juxtaposed in fore-and-aft arrangement, with their arcuate-in-cross-section middle portions contiguous and held together with bonding material (for example rubber glue or other flexible cement), and their flattened portions in planes that are normal to the middle plane of the pad. But optionally each cushion may comprise: flexible skin and round-ended, cylindrical tubes or hollow spheres, imbedded in flexible foam plastic; or merely foam plastic within a flexible skin.

Various modifications of the specific structure may be made. For example: instead of comprising circularin-cross-section balloons, the main aerostatic means of any of FIGS. 1, 2, 7, 17, 20, 21 and 22 may consist of two non-circular balloons, each of which comprises a skin like of FIG. 22, sealingly secured to the outer surface of the cabin (above or below the tractor propellers and windows and forward of the rear cabin part 3); and in FIG. 19 a single balloon envelope (reinforced by internal or overlying netting or the like) may encircle the cabins middle part and be strongly and gassealingly attached to the walls 94 and 198, each of which walls in the form of FIG. 19 (unlike that of FIG. 21) has an arcuate periphery that juts beyond the middle cabin part (on all of its sides) to conform to the annular edges of the single balloon envelope which are fastened to the wall.

After the craft is loaded it will stand upright but nearly always not vertical. Then the weights of its load may be redistributed (by moving baggage or freight and transferring fuel as described above) until its fore-andaft axis is vertical or nearly vertical preferably leaning a little, with its upper end (bow) a bit forward of its bottom (after) end, because of the advisability of having the deck part of the vehicle a little heavier than the overhead part. In this currently preferred position, it takes off, its very light weight being easily lifted by the oppositely-rotating propellers 58. Soon after takeoff the stem-elevating propeller 48 is turned by motor 47, and the heavier rear part of the cabin is thus elevated about its center of gravity, until the craft is in cruising attitude, and then, after the desired altitude is reached, the crafts fore-and-aft axis may be held in horizontal cruising position by controlling the motor 47 and the thrust of the attitude-controlling propeller 48. When optionally designed and used as a spacecraft for example, as a shuttle vehicle for transport to and from an earth satellite the vehicle may travel a long time in vertical or nearly vertical position, and the pitchcontrolling rocket, replacing 47-48, then is little used.

In the above description and in the claims, unless otherwise qualified; the term tubular member signifies: a single tube or can or a plurality of end-connected tubular articles, of any cross-sectional shape; corrugated pertains to walls having elongated ridges (for example of longitudinally corrugated metal), or annular corrugations (for example of bamboo or corrugated plastic or metal having annular ridges); can" signifies: a hollow article of any material and shape in cross section, having sealed ends that may or may not be apertured; gaseous material means: any pure gas or air or other gaseous mixture, gas-cell-containing foam plastic or other gas-containing insulating material; plastic": any natural or synthetic plastic, including rubber; upright": vertical or having an angle withthe vertical of 45 degrees or less; the terms forward", rear", foreand-aft, above" and below" refer to positions when the vehicle's axis is horizontal; balloon" means: a

lighter-than-air member, of any cross-sectional shape, containing lighter-than-air gas; and aerostatic means" signifies one or a plurality of lighter-than-air, liftproviding means, for example a balloon or balloons of any shape in cross section.

I claim: 1. A vehicle, having a fore-and-aft axis, capable of taking off and landing with the said axis at an angle of over 45 degrees to a horizontal plane, comprising a load-holding body; shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support the vehicle on a landing surface with its said fore-and-aft axis at an angle of over 45 degrees to a horizontal plane;

aerostatic means, connected to said body, capable of lifting the forward end of said body well above its rearward end and well above the said landing means, comprising: skin means; and lighter-thanair gas inclosed in said skin means; during takeoff, a greater volume of said gas being located above the vehicles center of gravity than below it; during forward motion of said vehicle, a greater volume of said gas being located forward of said center of gravity than rearward of it.

2.'A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means comprises: a pair of skins, one above said axis and one below said axis; and means connecting side edges of each of said skins to portions of said body.

3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said body comprises windowed elements between adjacent pairs of said side edges.

4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 3, in which at least one of said windowed elements is a door.

5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, comprising wings extending laterally from said body, connected to the body between adjacent pairs of said side edges.

6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 5, in which each of said wings comprises tubular members, gaseous material in said members and plastic around them.

7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said gaseous material is gas under above-atmospheric pressure.

8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which one of said tubular members, adjacent to the trailing edge of the wing, is of relatively smaller cross-sectional area, and at least one other of the tubular members has a cross-sectional area that is larger than that of said tubular member that is adjacent to the trailing edge.

9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which each of said tubular members extends from a tip portion of one wing thru said body to a tip portion of an opposite wing.

10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which said tubular members comprise metal tubes of different diameters, one of said tubes, of relatively smaller diameter, being adjacent to the trailing edge of each wing and at least one tube of larger maximum diameter being located forward of said smaller tube.

11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which each of said tubular members is of strong material and comprises a tubular element having a flattened tube end adjacent to a wing tip; and a second flattened portion adjacent to said body.

12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11, in which each of said flattened portions comprises a pair of juxtaposed planar plies of said strong material, and the planes of the adjoined surfaces of said plies extend in a fore-and-aft direction.

13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 12, in which each of said wings comprises wing-bracing plastic, contacting said second flattened portions, and bracing said tubular members at said portions against sides of said body.

14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13, comprising tubular articles in said wing-bracing plastic.

15. A vehicleas set forth in claim 11, in which the said gaseous material is gas under a pressure of at least 10 pounds per square inch above that of the atmosphere.

16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 15, in which said tubular members are of metal and comprise planar portions between and connecting the tubular members of one wing to those of another.

17. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of balloons, containing at least part of said lighter-than-air gas, inclosed by said skin means.

18. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means incloses at least a major part of said body, and the vehicle comprises means in said body to so distribute the weight of said load as to cause said center of gravity to be at or near said fore-and-aft axis.

19. A vehicle as set forth in claim 18, in which said center of lift is at or near said fore-and-aft axis.

20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means incloses at least a major part of said body, and the vehicle comprises forward-propulsion means.

21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, comprising: attitude-adjusting propulsion means, having a center line of thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity and at an angle to said fore-and-aft axis that is adapted to elevate the rear part of said body relative to its forward part; and means to control said attitude-adjusting means and the force of said thrust.

22. A vehicle as set forth in claim 21, in which said attitude-adjusting propulsion means comprises a motor and a mechanical propeller.

23. A vehicle as set forth in claim 21, comprising: steering-propulsion means for producing vehicle steering thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity; and means to control the force of said thrust.

24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 23, in which said steering-propulsion means comprises a pair of propulsion devices, having opposite thrusts.

25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising: forward-propulsion means; steering-propulsion means for producing vehicle-steering thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity; and means to control the force of said thrust.

26. A vehicle as set forth in claim 25, in which said steering-propulsion means comprises a pair of propulsion devices, having opposite thrusts.

27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said body comprises forward, middle and rear parts; said forward and rear parts comprise portions that project laterally beyond exterior outlines of said middle part; and the said skin means is located between and attached to said laterally-projecting portions.

28. A vehicle as set forth in claim 27, comprising, within said skin means, a plurality of balloons.

29. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 that is heavier than air.

30. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 that is lighter than air and comprises: propulsion means; and means to control said propulsion means in each of two opposite directions.

31. A vehicle, adapted to move thru a fluid, having a fore-and-aft axis, comprising:

a load-supporting body comprising, in a rear portion of the vehicle, a fluid channel, extending thru said body, providing a path for fluid from an upper vehicular surface to a lower surface;

aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that is forward of the vehicle s center of gravity, exerting a force on the vehicle tending to raise its upper end while gravity tends to depress its rear end;

attitude-controlling propulsion means within and connected to said channel, for forcing a current of the said fluid thru the channel from the said upper surface to said lower surface, supplying a controllable amount of thrust at said rear portion in counteraction of the turning moment of said aerostatic and gravity forces on the vehicle; and

propulsion means for propelling the vehicle substantially in the direction of said fore-and-aft axis.

32. A vehicle as set forth in claim 31, comrpsing: wing means, connected to and projecting laterally from the said body; and force-transmitting means, connecting said propulsion means and wing means.

33. A vehicle as set forth in claim 31, in which the said body comprises a second fluid channel, having an axis that is transverse to said fore-and-aft axis and normally horizontal, the said vehicle further comprising a steering propeller within and connected to said second channel, for forcing a vehicle-steering current of the said fluid thru the second channel.

34. A vehicle as set forth in claim 33, in which said steering propeller is of reversible pitch.

35. A vehicle as set forth in claim 33, comprising: a third fluid channel, having an axis that is transverse to said fore-and-aft axis and normally horizontal; and a second steering propeller in said third fluid channel; the said steering propellers providing oppositely directed thrusts, one for steering the vehicle to the right, and the other for steering it to the left.

36. A vehicle adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of upright takeoff and landing, comprising:

a load-holding body; aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that in horizontal movement is forward of the center of gravity of said body, comprising: skin means including a pair of skins, one above the vehicls fore-and-aft axis and one below said axis; means connecting side edges of each of said skins to portions of said body; and lighter-than-air gas inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above the said axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis;

wings extending laterally from said body, connected to the body between adjacent pairs of said side edges, comprising: wing skin means; tubular members, at least some of which are corrugated; gaseous material in said members; and foam plastic around them;

means to control the position of said fore-and-aft axis in a vertical plane; and shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support said body in an upright position.

37. A vehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of upright takeoff and landing, comprising:

a load-holding body;

aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that in horizontal movement is forward of the center of gravity of said body, comprising skin means and lighter-than-air gas inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above the vehicles fore-and-aft axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis;

means to control the position of said fore-and-aft axis in a vertical plane; and

shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support said body in an upright position, comprising a flexible skin and cushioning means within the flexible skin.

38. A vehicle, comprising:

a load-containing cabin, having: a fore-and-aft axis; forward, middle and rear parts, the said middle part being narrower in at least one fore-and-aft cross section than each of said forward and rear parts in the said cross section; portions of said forward and rear parts that project laterally beyond exterior outlines of said middle part; and walls that comprise skin means, elongated tubular members within said skin means and gaseous material in said tubular members;

aerostatic means, connected to and between said laterally projecting portions, exerting lifting force on said cabin, having a tendency to raise its forward end above its rearward end, and having a center of buoyancy that in forward motion of the vehicle is forward of the vehicles's center of gravity; and

controllable propulsive means, connected to said body, for controllably counteracting said tendency of the aerostatic means.

39. A vehicle as set forth in claim 38, in which said aerostatic means comprises: balloon-skin means between and attached to said laterally-projecting portions; and lighter-than-air gas, inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above said fore-and-aft axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis.

40. A vehicle comprising a load-carrying body, steering propulsion means connected to a rear part of said body, aerostatic means exerting a lift on said body, and lift-producing wing means comprising a strengthproviding framework of tubular members that have at least two different cross-sectional diameters, each of said members comprising a sealed, elongated tube that has a longitudinal axis and comprises: curved-wall structure of strength-providing material; opposite, sealed, substantially tube-flattened end-edge portions; means sealingly holding substantially flat surfaces of each of said end-edge portions together in strong junction, forming said tube-flattened portions, each of which is wider than an adjacent portion of the tubular members middle part; and gaseous material within said curved-wall structure.

41. A vehicle as set forth in claim 40, in which the said controllable propulsion means is a mechanical propeller, connected to said rear part.

42. An aircraft as set forth in claim 40, in which said aerostatic means, connected to and exerting a lift on said body, has a center of lift that is forward of the center of gravity of the body.

* l i t III UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pa t 3 753,539 Dated August 21, 1973 In ent r( Alvin 11". MOOIfB It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

C aim 1' line 1, sais should read the line 2, before "lift insert serostatic Signed and sealed this 30th day of April 197 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M .FLETGIIER, JR. C MARSHALL DAM-I Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-IOSO (10-69) USCOMM-DC 6O376-P69 US. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 199 0-366-3, 

1. A vehicle, having a fore-and-aft axis, capable of taking off and landing with the said axis at an angle of over 45 degrees to a horizontal plane, comprising a load-holding body; shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support the vehicle on a landing surface with its said fore-and-aft axis at an angle of over 45 degrees to a horizontal plane; aerostatic means, connected to said body, capable of lifting the forward end of said body well above its rearward end and well above the said landing means, comprising: skin means; and lighter-than-air gas inclosed in said skin means; during takeoff, a greater volume of said gas being located above the vehicle''s center of gravity than below it; during forward motion of said vehicle, a greater volume of said gas being located forward of said center of gravity than rearward of it.
 2. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means comprises: a pair of skins, one above said axis and one below said axis; and means connecting side edges of each of said skins to portions of said body.
 3. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, in which said body comprises windowed elements between adjacent pairs of said side edges.
 4. A vehicle as set forth in claim 3, in which at least one of said windowed elements is a door.
 5. A vehicle as set forth in claim 2, comprising wings extending laterally from said body, connected to the body between adjacent pairs of said side edges.
 6. A vehicle as set forth in claim 5, in which each of said wings comprises tubular members, gaseous material in said members and plastic around them.
 7. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which said gaseous material is gas under above-atmospheric pressure.
 8. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which one of said tubular members, adjacent to the trailing edge of the wing, is of relatively smaller cross-sectional area, and at least one other of the tubular members has a cross-sectional area that is larger than that of said tubular member that is adjacent to the trailing edge.
 9. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which each of said tubular members extends from a tip portion of one wing thru said body to a tip portion of an opposite wing.
 10. A vehicle as set forth in claim 9, in which said tubular members comprise metal tubes of different diameters, one of said tubes, of relatively smaller diameter, being adjacent to the trailing edge of each wing and at least one tube of larger maximum diameter being located forward of said smaller tube.
 11. A vehicle as set forth in claim 6, in which each of said tubular members is of strong material and comprises a tubular element having a flattened tube end adjacent to a wing tip; and a second flattened portion adjacent to said body.
 12. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11, in which each of said flattened portions comprises a pair of juxtaposed planar plies of said strong material, and the planes of the adjoined surfaces of said plies extend in a fore-and-aft direction.
 13. A vehicle as set forth in claim 12, in which each of said wings comprises wing-bracing plastic, contacting said second flattened portions, and bracing said tubular members at said portions against sides of said body.
 14. A vehicle as set forth in claim 13, comprising tubular articles in said wing-bracing plastic.
 15. A vehicle as set forth in claim 11, in which the said gaseous material is gas under a pressure of at least 10 pounds per square inch above that of the atmosphere.
 16. A vehicle as set forth in claim 15, in which said tubular members are of metal and comprise planar portions between and connecting the tubular members of one wing to those of another.
 17. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising a plurality of balloons, containing at least part of said lighter-than-air gas, inclosed by said skin means.
 18. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means incloses at least a major part of said body, and the vehicle comprises means in said body to so distribute the weight of said load as to cause said center of gravity to be at or near said fore-and-aft axis.
 19. A vehicle as set forth in claim 18, in which said center of lift is at or near said fore-and-aft axis.
 20. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which said skin means incloses at least a major part of said body, and the vehicle comprises forward-propulsion means.
 21. A vehicle as set forth in claim 20, comprising: attitude-adjusting propulsion means, having a center line of thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity and at an angle to said fore-and-aft axis that is adapted to elevate the rear part of said body relative to its forward part; and means to control said attitude-adjusting means and the force of said thrust.
 22. A vehicle as set forth in claim 21, in which said attitude-adjusting propulsion means comprises a motor and a mechanical propeller.
 23. A vehicle as set forth in claim 21, comprising: steering-propulsion means for producing vehicle-steering thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity; and means to control the force of said thrust.
 24. A vehicle as set forth in claim 23, in which said steering-propulsion means comprises a pair of propulsion devices, having opposite thrusts.
 25. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, comprising: forward-propulsion means; steering-propulsion means for producing vehicle-steering thrust that is rearward of said center of gravity; and means to control the force of said thrust.
 26. A vehicle as set forth in claim 25, in which said steering-propulsion means comprises a pair of propulsion devices, having opposite thrusts.
 27. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1, in which: said body comprises forward, middle and rear parts; said forward and rear parts comprise portions that project laterally beyond exterior outlines of said middle part; and the said skin means is located between and attached to said laterally-projecting portions.
 28. A vehicle as set forth in claim 27, comprising, within said skin means, a plurality of balloons.
 29. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 that is heavier than air.
 30. A vehicle as set forth in claim 1 that is lighter than air and comprises: propulsion means; and means to control said propulsion means in each of two opposite directions.
 31. A vehicle, adapted to move thru a fluid, having a fore-and-aft axis, comprising: a load-supporting body comprising, in a rear portion of the vehicle, a fluid channel, extending thru said body, providing a path for fluid from an upper vehicular surface to a lower surface; aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that is forward of the vehicle''s center of gravity, exerting a force on the vehicle tending to raise its upper end while gravity tends to depress its rear end; attitude-controlling propulsion means within and connected to said channel, for forcing a current of the said fluid thru the channel from the said upper surface to said lower surface, supplying a controllable amount of thrust at said rear portion in counteraction of the turning moment of said aerostatic and gravity forces on the vehicle; and propulsion means for propelling the vehicle substantially in the direction of said fore-and-aft axis.
 32. A vehicle as set forth in claim 31, comrpsing: wing means, connected to and projecting laterally from the said body; and force-transmitting means, connecting said propulsion means and wing means.
 33. A vehicle as set forth in claim 31, in which the said body comprises a second fluid channel, having an axis that is transverse to said fore-and-aft axis and normally horizontal, the said vehicle further comprising a steering propeller within and connected to said second channel, for forcing a vehicle-steering current of the said fluid thru the second channel.
 34. A vehicle as set forth in claim 33, in which said steering propeller is of reversible pitch.
 35. A vehicle as set forth in claim 33, comprising: a third fluid channel, having an axis that is transverse to said fore-and-aft axis and normally horizontal; and a second steering propeller in said third fluid channel; the said steering propellers providing oppositely directed thrusts, one for steering the vehicle to the right, and the other for steering it to the left.
 36. A vehicle adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of upright takeoff and landing, comprising: a load-holding body; aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that in horizontal movement is forward of the center of gravity of said body, comprising: skin means including a pair of skins, one above the vehicl''s fore-and-aft axis and one below said axis; means connecting side edges of each of said skins to portions of said body; and lighter-than-air gas inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above the said axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis; wings extending laterally from said body, connected to the body between adjacent pairs of said side edges, comprising: wing skin means; tubular members, at least some of which are corrugated; gaseous material in said members; and foam plastic around them; means to control the position of said fore-and-aft axis in a vertical plane; and shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support said body in an upright position.
 37. A vehicle, adapted to move thru the atmosphere, capable of upright takeoff and landing, comprising: a load-holding body; aerostatic means, connected to said body, having a center of lift that in horizontal movement is forward of the center of gravity of said body, comprising skin means and lighter-than-air gas inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above the vehicle''s fore-and-aft axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis; means to control the position of said fore-and-aft axis in a vertical plane; and shock-absorbing landing means connected to a rear part of said body, constructed and arranged to support said body in an upright position, comprising a flexible skin and cushioning means within the flexible skin.
 38. A vehicle, comprising: a load-containing cabin, having: a fore-and-aft axis; forward, middle and rear parts, the said middle part being narrower in at least one fore-and-aft cross section than each of said forward and rear parts in the said cross section; portions of said forward and rear parts that project laterally beyond exterior outlines of said middle part; and walls that comprise skin means, elongated tubular members within said skin means and gaseous material in said tubular members; aerostatic means, connected to and between said laterally projecting portions, exerting lifting force on said cabin, having a tendency to raise its forward end above its rearward end, and having a center of buoyancy that in forward motion of the vehicle is forward of the vehicles''s center of gravity; and controllable propulsive means, connected to said body, for controllably counteracting said tendency of the aerostatic means.
 39. A vehicle as set forth in claim 38, in which said aerostatic means comprises: balloon-skin means between and attached to said lAterally-projecting portions; and lighter-than-air gas, inclosed in said skin means, at least a portion of said gas being above said fore-and-aft axis, and at least a portion of said gas being below said axis.
 40. A vehicle comprising a load-carrying body, steering propulsion means connected to a rear part of said body, aerostatic means exerting a lift on said body, and lift-producing wing means comprising a strength-providing framework of tubular members that have at least two different cross-sectional diameters, each of said members comprising a sealed, elongated tube that has a longitudinal axis and comprises: curved-wall structure of strength-providing material; opposite, sealed, substantially tube-flattened end-edge portions; means sealingly holding substantially flat surfaces of each of said end-edge portions together in strong junction, forming said tube-flattened portions, each of which is wider than an adjacent portion of the tubular member''s middle part; and gaseous material within said curved-wall structure.
 41. A vehicle as set forth in claim 40, in which the said controllable propulsion means is a mechanical propeller, connected to said rear part.
 42. An aircraft as set forth in claim 40, in which said aerostatic means, connected to and exerting a lift on said body, has a center of lift that is forward of the center of gravity of the body. 